London fatberg – what a whopper!

London fatberg – what a whopper!

In the news recently, we saw the fatberg found in the sewers in Whitechapel, London. This is not something we see every day, but we do encounter this problem on a smaller scale.

The mass of fat, nappies and baby wipes was the largest that London workmen have ever seen. The workmen will need to use high powered jets and heavy machinery to break it up. It will take them a few weeks to break up the fatberg and dispose of it.

What is a fatberg?

It is rock solid, like concrete, and estimated to weigh 130 tonnes and stretch 250 metres.

It is 10 times bigger than the fatberg found in Kensington in 2013. The fatberg will have taken time to grow and solidify into the mass it has become. It will also take time to break down and remove.

The frustrating thing is that this situation is avoidable, “Don’t flush it, bin it”.

How to avoid fatbergs forming

Our drainage system is not capable of taking such items through its pipes. Many people flush wipes, sanitary wear, nappies, cotton buds and numerous other items down the toilet. Our drains simply can’t cope.

To remove such blockage will come with considerable costs. We can all avoid problems like this with our household/commercial drains by simply disposing of the items in the correct way.

Just because your drains are out of sight, don’t let them be out of your mind. Being aware of your drains and keeping them well maintained, will reduce the risk of blockages and problems down the line.